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Straits Times
7 days ago
- Politics
- Straits Times
Zelenskiy aims to woo both public and Trump with fresh-faced Ukraine cabinet
Find out what's new on ST website and app. FILE PHOTO: U.S. President Donald Trump and Ukraine's President Volodymyr Zelenskiy attend a meeting on the sidelines of NATO summit in The Hague, Netherlands June 25, 2025. Ukrainian Presidential Press Service/Handout via REUTERS/File Photo KYIV - Ukraine will get its first new prime minister of the war on Thursday, as President Volodymyr Zelenskiy tries to wrestle wartime defence spending into shape and win over both Donald Trump and a war-weary public with fresh-faced leadership. Yulia Svyrydenko, 39, the only candidate for the post, is expected to take over a reshuffled cabinet, tasked with scaling up a fledgling arms industry and breathing life into an economy kept afloat by Western lenders. Zelenskiy's choice of a young economist well known in Washington reflects the importance of repairing relations with the Trump administration after Zelenskiy's disastrous White House visit in February. Svyrydenko's outgoing predecessor, Denys Shmyhal, is meanwhile likely to shift to the job of defence minister, a sign of the importance Kyiv now places in building up the capacity of its defence industry as the best chance of fending off Russia. But with Zelenskiy still relying on a small handful of close allies to make his biggest reshuffle of the war, the moves could disappoint Ukrainians who want to see a wider talent pool at the top. Svyrydenko, with a more prominent public profile than Shmyhal, has already played a role in shoring up ties with the United States and was one of Kyiv's main negotiators in reaching a deal that gives Washington preferential access to swathes of Ukraine's mineral wealth. Her nomination sends a signal to Washington that Kyiv is prioritising the relationship, said political analyst Mykola Davydiuk. Top stories Swipe. Select. Stay informed. Singapore Over 600 Telegram groups in Singapore selling, advertising vapes removed by HSA Singapore 2 weeks' jail for man caught smuggling over 1,800 vapes and pods into Singapore Singapore Jail for man who fatally hit his daughter, 2, while driving van without licence Singapore Primary 1 registration: 38 primary schools to conduct ballot in Phase 2A Singapore ComfortDelGro to introduce new taxi cancellation, waiting fee policy Singapore Here comes the sun: Less rain, more warm days in second half of July Singapore Instead of overcomplicating COE system, Govt has ensured affordable transport for all: SM Lee to Jamus Lim Singapore Baby died after mum took abortion pills and gave birth in toilet; coroner records an open verdict "For us, it's a partnership that's not just about money but about values, about joint projects and generally about our common movement forward together," he said, summing up how he saw Zelenskiy's thinking. IMPORTANCE OF DEFENCE Shmyhal, 49, was Ukraine's longest-serving prime minister. Moving him to the defence ministry, a demotion on paper, gives Zelenskiy an experienced technocratic economist in a job that oversees the bulk of Ukraine's state cash flow. The 2025 budget allocates 2.23 trillion hryvnias $53.2 billion - about 26% of Ukraine's gross domestic product - for defence spending. The ministry has faced public criticism over poor organisation and procurement problems as Ukraine struggles to fend off a bigger and better-armed Russian military. "This is a ministry that practically since the beginning of the war has suffered from a lack of systemic management," said Hlib Vyshlinsky, head of the Centre for Economic Strategy in Kyiv. He described Shmyhal's appointment as "an extremely good step". Economically, Kyiv faces the tough challenge of finding money to finance its ballooning budget deficit as foreign aid is set to diminish but defence spending continues to grow. Officials have said Ukraine would need about $40 billion in international financing in 2026 and could face a shortfall of about $19 billion. Maintaining stability will only become more difficult as the war drags on, complicated by a lack of effective policymakers, said opposition lawmaker Andrii Osadchuk. "Unfortunately, it is increasingly difficult for Zelenskiy and his coalition to add new, bright people to ministerial positions," said Osadchuk, of the Holos party, adding it could lead to "stagnation" in the executive branch. POLITICAL CHALLENGES Earlier this month, Shmyhal's cabinet came under fire from businesses and civil society for rejecting the candidacy of an economic security chief who had been unanimously backed by an internationally supervised committee. Other opposition lawmakers have criticised what they describe as Zelenskiy's reliance on an ever-smaller band of close loyalists. "Zelenskiy's short bench of personnel has long since turned into a stool on which maybe five or six managers fit," wrote lawmaker Iryna Herashchenko, a member of Zelenskiy rival Petro Poroshenko's party, on Wednesday. "The only innovation (in Svyrydenko's appointment) is that a female manager has been added." Elections are prohibited while the country is under martial law, a principle widely accepted within Ukraine given the difficulty of staging a vote while millions of people are displaced and cities are under bombardment and occupation. But this also means it is difficult for a new crop of leaders to emerge. While Zelenskiy himself remains broadly popular, the cabinet and other current or former senior officials have been ensnared in allegations of corruption and incompetence. Last month, authorities charged a deputy prime minister with taking a $345,000 kickback. Ukraine's government and parliament suffer from low levels of public trust, said Anton Grushetskyi, executive director of the Kyiv International Institute of Sociology. However, he added that most Ukrainians, while wanting a widespread political renewal, are against wartime elections and accept that fending off Russia is the greater priority. REUTERS
Straits Times
16-07-2025
- Business
- Straits Times
Ukraine celebrates Trump's weapons reversal, but the 'devil's in the details'
FILE PHOTO: U.S. President Donald Trump and Ukraine's President Volodymyr Zelenskiy attend a meeting on the sidelines of NATO summit in The Hague, Netherlands June 25, 2025. Ukrainian Presidential Press Service/Handout via REUTERS/File photo WASHINGTON - President Donald Trump has finally found a way to like arming Ukraine: ask European allies to donate their weapons, and sell them American replacements. Now comes the hard part — agreeing on who will actually give up their prized systems, including the Patriot missile batteries that Kyiv has been desperately seeking. "We're going to make top-of-the-line weapons, and they'll be sent to NATO," Trump said in the Oval Office on Monday. Some Patriot missile defense systems should arrive in Ukraine "within days," added Trump, who faces resistance from some high-profile figures in the MAGA movement who oppose U.S. support for Ukraine. The costly Patriot systems - in high demand among U.S. allies - have proven effective at destroying Russian ballistic missiles aimed at Ukraine's cities. The U.S. has also signaled willingness under the proposed arrangement with European allies to send additional offensive weapons, said one source familiar with the matter, though Trump has said that Ukraine should refrain from attacking Moscow. The plan, which Trump and NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte hatched in recent days, according to two sources familiar with the discussions, has been received positively by Ukraine and its allies. Top stories Swipe. Select. Stay informed. Singapore July BTO launch to have over 4,600 balance flats, 2 BTO projects with under than 3-year wait Singapore Acute psychiatry services to be expanded across all healthcare clusters: MOH Singapore 'Kpods broke our marriage, shattered our children': Woman on husband's vape addiction Singapore Asia-Pacific will need over 230k new pilots, 250k aircraft maintenance technicians by 2042: ICAO chief Business Tycoon Robert Kuok's daughter Kuok Hui Kwong appointed CEO of Shangri-La Asia Business US tariffs may last well after Trump; crucial for countries to deepen trade ties: SM Lee Life Walking for exercise? Here are tips on how to do it properly Multimedia Telling the Singapore story for 180 years Leaders in Kyiv and elsewhere have celebrated a major tonal shift from Trump, who had until recent weeks spoken glowingly of Russian President Vladimir Putin. But since the announcement, it has become clear Trump presented a framework - not a fleshed-out plan. How material any support ends up being for Ukraine will depend on coming negotiations about who provides which equipment, according to 10 officials in the U.S. and Europe. "As always with these things, the devil is in the details," said one northern European ambassador in Washington. The central question is who would donate the Patriot batteries, and when. SPARE A PATRIOT? During his Oval Office meeting with Trump on Monday, Rutte mentioned six NATO countries - Finland, Denmark, Sweden, Norway, the Netherlands and Canada - that were willing to participate in the weapons-purchasing scheme. High-ranking sources at two of those countries' embassies in the U.S. told Reuters they personally learned of the plan as it was announced. Even close U.S. allies appeared to learn of the proposal in real time. "It is my clear sense that nobody has been briefed about the exact details in advance, and I also suspect that internally in the administration they are only now beginning to sort out what it means in practice," said a separate European ambassador. Kurt Volker, a former U.S. ambassador to NATO, said Trump found a way to balance support for Ukraine with the political realities of the Republican Party. Having the European allies underwrite U.S. arms supplies is "very consistent with what he (Trump) said during the campaign," he said. Throughout the campaign, Trump said he would push European countries to spend more on defense, to great applause from MAGA crowds. "You gotta pay," he said. "If they're not going to pay, we're not going to protect, ok?" Volker said Ukraine could ultimately receive 12 to 13 Patriot batteries but it could take a year for them all to be delivered. Asked for comment, a NATO official said the defense alliance would coordinate weapons deliveries through a mechanism known as the NATO Security Assistance and Training for Ukraine, a NATO mission located in Germany that is responsible for coordinating Western military aid for Kyiv. "Several European countries have already committed to support this initiative including Germany, Norway, Denmark, the Netherlands, Sweden, the United Kingdom, Canada and Finland," the official said. "Details are still under discussion." In response to a request for comment, the Pentagon referred Reuters to Trump's Monday remarks announcing his agreement with Rutte. The White House did not respond to a request for comment, nor did the Ukrainian or Russian embassies in Washington. 'WE ARE READY' The rapid hardening of Trump's rhetoric toward Moscow in recent weeks has come amid an increasingly firm belief that Putin is not engaging in good-faith negotiations, according to two U.S. officials. "At a certain point, you know, ultimately talk doesn't talk. It's got to be action. It's got to be results," Trump said during his meeting with Rutte on Monday. One of the officials said Trump came to realize that Putin's ambitions extend beyond Crimea and four eastern regions of Ukraine, a point Kyiv and European allies have publicly and frequently made. Three Russian sources close to the Kremlin said Putin will not stop the war under pressure from the West and believe that Russia - which has survived the toughest sanctions imposed by the West - can endure further economic hardship, including Trump's Monday threat to impose U.S. tariffs targeting buyers of Russian oil. Now, three U.S. officials involved in weapons matters said, the real work begins. U.S. officials are now talking with NATO allies and gauging who is willing to send what to Ukraine. European officials have been broadly receptive. "We are ready to participate," Danish Foreign Minister Lars Lokke Rasmussen told reporters in Brussels on Tuesday ahead of a meeting of European Union ministers. One official cited Germany, Greece, the Netherlands and Spain as good candidates to send a Patriot battery to Kyiv, either because they had multiple batteries or the threats they face are relatively remote. Some, including Greece and Spain, have previously resisted appeals from allies to give some of their Patriot systems to Ukraine, arguing that they are essential to defend their own countries and NATO as a whole. Trump's move to take credit for the additional weapons headed to Ukraine has created some mild friction in Europe. "If we pay for these weapons, it's our support," said EU foreign policy chief Kaja Kallas, speaking after the Brussels meeting, adding that she welcomed Trump's decision. "So it's European support, and we are doing as much as we can to help Ukraine ... If you promise to give the weapons, but say that somebody else is going to pay for it, it's not really given by you, is it?" One of the officials said that the Trump administration has been going through NATO inventories to see what's available. Their next effort is to attempt to persuade the allies to gift the equipment to Ukraine in exchange for a "trade" of some sort, the official said. The trade could be a variety of things, the official said, including giving up an impending acceptance of a piece of military equipment through the Foreign Military Sales program, or sending munitions to Ukraine in exchange for an earlier replenishment date. Trump told reporters there was one country with 17 Patriots, some of which would go directly to Ukraine. The figure has caused widespread confusion among European allies and on Capitol Hill - many of whom have not been briefed - according to the U.S. and European officials. No NATO member except the U.S. has that number of Patriot systems, said two sources familiar with the matter, causing speculation that Trump may have been referring to particular Patriot components, like launchers or missiles. German Defense Minister Boris Pistorius, who visited the Pentagon on Monday, said the Germans would discuss sending Patriot batteries to Ukraine with the U.S. in the coming days or weeks. But no Patriot system would arrive in Kyiv for months, he said, likely delaying any receipt until after the tactically crucial summer months. Another official said Trump was engaged directly in negotiations, though talks so far were "squishy." "So far folks have said, 'We can help,'" that official said. "Now, what that means, we don't know." REUTERS
The Star
15-07-2025
- Politics
- The Star
Trump asked Zelenskiy if Ukraine could hit Moscow, FT reports
FILE PHOTO: U.S. President Donald Trump and Ukraine's President Volodymyr Zelenskiy attend a meeting at the NATO summit in The Hague, Netherlands June 25, 2025. Ukrainian Presidential Press Service/Handout via REUTERS (Reuters) -U.S. President Donald Trump has privately encouraged Ukraine to step up strikes deep in Russian territory, even asking Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy whether he could hit Moscow if the U.S. provided long-range weapons, the Financial Times reported on Tuesday. The newspaper, citing two people familiar with the conversation, said Trump spoke to his Ukrainian counterpart in a call on July 4, a day after speaking to Russian President Vladimir Putin. Trump also discussed sending Ukraine U.S.-made ATACMS missiles, the FT reported, citing the same sources. The White House did not immediately respond to a Reuters request for comment. Reuters could not verify the report. Trump at the time said he had been disappointed by the call with Putin because it does not appear the Russian leader was looking to stop Russia's war against Ukraine. (Reporting by Mrinmay Dey in Bengaluru; Editing by Andrew Heavens)
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First Post
10-07-2025
- Politics
- First Post
Got positive signals on resuming military aid from US, says Zelenskyy
Zelenskyy confirmed that Ukraine has been provided with 'a timetable and details of weapons supplies,' amid intensified Russian attacks read more US President Donald Trump and Ukraine's President Volodymyr Zelenskyy during a meeting in The Hague, Netherlands. Ukrainian Presidential Press Service/Reuters file Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy on Thursday said that Kyiv has received 'all necessary political signals for military aid resumption' following recent talks with US President Donald Trump, which he described as constructive. According to Reuters, Zelenskyy confirmed that Ukraine has been provided with 'a timetable and details of weapons supplies,' amid intensified Russian attacks. His remarks come after Trump has grown increasingly - and publicly - frustrated with Russian President Vladimir Putin as the war drags on. STORY CONTINUES BELOW THIS AD Earlier today, US Secretary of State Marco Rubio said he conveyed his 'disappointment and frustration' to Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov over the lack of progress in ending the war in Ukraine. 'I echoed what the president (Donald Trump) said, both a disappointment and frustration at the lack of progress,' The Guardian quoted Rubio, who met Lavrov on the sidelines of the Asean gathering in Malaysia, as saying in a 50-minute meeting. Meanwhile, Russia ramped up its assault on Ukraine, launching a wave of missile and drone strikes on Kyiv early Thursday. Thousands of residents were forced into shelters as Ukrainian air defences struggled to keep up with the escalating attacks. Russian missiles and drones struck Kyiv early Thursday, forcing thousands into shelters as Ukraine's air defences struggle under intensifying attacks. Zelenskyy said Russia launched 18 missiles and around 400 drones, following a record 728-drone barrage the night before. President Trump, who returned to power this year vowing to quickly end the war, has taken a tougher tone recently. A day after resuming US arms deliveries to Ukraine, he dismissed Putin's peace signals as 'meaningless.' Trump is also weighing support for a Senate bill proposing severe sanctions on Russia, including 500% tariffs on countries importing Russian energy and raw materials. STORY CONTINUES BELOW THIS AD Zelenskyy also confirmed Bloomberg reports that he may soon appoint a new ambassador to the United States. He said he is considering Defence Minister Rustem Umerov for the role, emphasising that the envoy's primary responsibility would be to strengthen Ukraine's defence posture against continued Russian aggression. Providing more detail on Kyiv's efforts to bolster its air defence, Zelenskyy said discussions with Trump included a 'positive dialogue' on the US Patriot missile system. He added that Germany has agreed to fund two Patriot systems for Ukraine, while Norway will cover the cost of another. Additional European nations may contribute once cost and logistical details are clarified. On sanctions, Zelenskyy expressed confidence in continued US leadership, saying he expects Washington to implement 'tough' measures to weaken Russia's ability to sustain its military campaign. With inputs from agencies
First Post
08-07-2025
- Politics
- First Post
Trump promises more weapons to Ukraine to 'defend themselves' against Russia
Zelenskyy says Ukraine has signed deals with European allies and a leading U.S. defense company to step up drone production, ensuring Kyiv receives 'hundreds of thousands' more this year read more US President Donald Trump and Ukraine's President Volodymyr Zelenskyy during a meeting in The Hague, Netherlands. Ukrainian Presidential Press Service/Reuters file President Donald Trump said Monday the U.S. will have to send more weapons to Ukraine, just days after ordering a pause in critical weapons deliveries to Kyiv. The comments by Trump appeared to be an abrupt change in posture after the Pentagon announced last week that it would hold back delivering to Ukraine some air defense missiles, precision-guided artillery and other weapons because of what U.S. officials said were concerns that stockpiles have declined too much. STORY CONTINUES BELOW THIS AD 'We have to,' Trump said. 'They have to be able to defend themselves. They're getting hit very hard now. We're going to send some more weapons — defensive weapons primarily.' The pause had come at a difficult moment for Ukraine, which has faced increasing — and more complex — air barrages from Russia during the more than three-year-long war. Russian attacks on Ukraine killed at least 11 civilians and injured more than 80 others, including seven children, officials said Monday. The U.S. turnaround on weapons for Ukraine The move last week to abruptly pause shipments of Patriot missiles, precision-guided GMLRS, Hellfire missiles and Howitzer rounds and weaponry took Ukrainian officials and other allies by surprise. The Pentagon did not immediately respond to a request for comment Monday on whether the paused weapons shipments to Ukraine would resume. Trump, speaking at the start of a dinner he was hosting for Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu at the White House on Monday, vented his growing frustration with Russian President Vladimir Putin. Trump has struggled to find a resolution to the war in Ukraine but maintains he's determined to quickly conclude a conflict that he had promised as candidate to end of Day One of his second term. He has threatened, but held off on, imposing new sanctions against Russia's oil industry to try to prod Putin into peace talks. Sen. Lindsey Graham, R-S.C., said last week that Trump has given him the go-ahead to push forward with a bill he's co-sponsoring that calls, in part, for a 500% tariff on goods imported from countries that continue to buy Russian oil. The move would have huge ramifications for China and India, two economic behemoths that buy Russian oil. STORY CONTINUES BELOW THIS AD 'I'm not happy with President Putin at all,' Trump said Monday. Russia's transport minister is found dead Separately, Russia's transport minister was found dead in what authorities said was an apparent suicide — news that broke hours after the Kremlin announced he had been dismissed by Putin. The firing of Roman Starovoit followed a weekend of travel chaos — airports grounded hundreds of flights due to the threat of drone attacks from Ukraine. Russian officials did not give a reason for his dismissal. Hundreds of flights were canceled or delayed at airports in Moscow and St. Petersburg, but Russian commentators said the air traffic disruptions have become customary amid frequent Ukrainian drone raids and were unlikely to have triggered his dismissal. Starovoit, 53, served as Russia's transport minister since May 2024. Russian media have reported that his dismissal could have been linked to an investigation into the embezzlement of state funds allocated for building fortifications in the Kursk region, where he served as governor before being appointed transportation minister. The alleged embezzlement has been cited as one of the reasons for deficiencies in Russia's defensive lines that failed to stem a surprise Ukrainian incursion in the region launched in August 2024. STORY CONTINUES BELOW THIS AD Russia fired more than 100 drones at civilian areas of Ukraine overnight, authorities said. Russia recently has intensified its airstrikes on civilian areas. In the past week, Russia launched some 1,270 drones, 39 missiles and almost 1,000 powerful glide bombs at Ukraine, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said Monday. Russia's bigger army also is trying hard to break through at some points along the roughly 1,000-kilometer (620 miles) front line, where Ukrainian forces are severely stretched. Ukraine calls for more military aid The strain of keeping Russia's invasion at bay, the lack of progress in direct peace talks and last week's halt of some promised U.S. weapons shipments have compelled Ukraine to seek more military help from the U.S. and Europe. White House spokesperson Karoline Leavitt said Monday that the pause in weapons to Ukraine came as part of a 'standard review of all weapons and all aid' that the U.S. 'is providing all countries and all regions around the world. Not just Ukraine.' Leavitt said Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth ordered the global review to ensure that 'everything that's going out the door aligns with America's interests.' Zelenskyy says Ukraine has signed deals with European allies and a leading U.S. defense company to step up drone production, ensuring Kyiv receives 'hundreds of thousands' more this year. STORY CONTINUES BELOW THIS AD 'Air defense is the main thing for protecting life,' Zelenskyy wrote Monday on Telegram. That includes developing and manufacturing interceptor drones that can stop Russia's long-range Shahed drones, he said. Extensive use of drones also has helped Ukraine compensate for its troop shortages on the front line. One person was killed in the southern city of Odesa, another person was killed and 71 were injured in northeastern Kharkiv, and falling drone debris caused damage in two districts of Kyiv, the capital, during nighttime drone attacks, Ukrainian authorities said. Russian short-range drones also killed two people and injured two others in the northern Sumy region, officials said. Sumy is one of the places where Russia has concentrated large numbers of troops. Also, nine people were injured and seven killed in the Donetsk region of eastern Ukraine, regional head Vadym Filashkin said. More Russian long-range drone strikes Monday targeted military mobilization centers for the third time in five days, in an apparent attempt to disrupt recruitment, Ukraine's Army Ground Forces command said. STORY CONTINUES BELOW THIS AD Regional officials in Kharkiv and southern Zaporizhzhia said at least 17 people were injured. Meanwhile, Russia's Defense Ministry said Monday that its troops shot down 91 Ukrainian drones in 13 Russian regions overnight, as well as over the Black Sea and the Crimean Peninsula, which was illegally annexed by Russia in 2014.
